NIA Small Business Overview
NIA Small Business Overview
Join Dr. Todd Haim, former leader at the National Institute on Aging, for an expert walkthrough of the NIH SBIR and STTR programs—essential funding mechanisms for Alzheimer’s and aging research. Dr. Haim shares actionable insights on eligibility, application strategy, and the review process, including tips for building strong teams and avoiding common mistakes. Learn how to navigate federal funding, leverage NIA resources, and position your innovation for commercial success. This session is a must-watch for researchers, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in translating neuroscience discoveries into real-world impact. Keywords: SBIR, STTR, NIH, NIA, Alzheimer’s, aging, research funding, commercialization, grant writing.
Learning Objective
• Describe the SBIR/STTR program structure, including Phase I (proof of concept), Phase II (commercialization), Fast Track, and Direct to Phase II pathways, and explain why non-dilutive NIH funding provides both capital and independent validation for neurotech startups.
• Identify SBIR eligibility requirements (fewer than 500 employees, >50% U.S. ownership) and the full registration timeline (~2 months lead time), and apply this to plan realistic application cycles given the 6–9 month funding timeline.
• Navigate NIA-specific SBIR resources, including the Startup Challenge, READY program, and pre-submission Specific Aims feedback from NIA staff, and assess which pathway best matches their innovation stage and team composition.
• Develop a competitive SBIR Specific Aims page that clearly articulates significance, innovation, and approach, and recognize that incomplete team expertise is the most common reason for application failure.
• Evaluate the SBIR peer review process, including preliminary review, foreign tie scrutiny, and funding decisions, and apply best practices including early resubmission planning and program officer engagement.
Todd Haim
Director / Senior Advisor
As Senior Advisor on Biomedical Innovation and Director of NIA’s Office of Strategic Extramural Programs, I lead a comprehensive innovation ecosystem that accelerates biomedical advances in aging and Alzheimer’s research. My team has the primary responsibility at NIA to coordinate and oversee a wide suite of NIA’s priorities including both is startup seed funding programs and its training/career development funding programs. My team manages close to $300M annual investment portfolio spanning 500+ research and career development projects and 300+ seed investments to startups across therapeutic, diagnostic, digital health, AI technologies, and care domains. The startup seed funding programs are actively accelerating the development of innovations that enhance the health and/or care of older adults and providing critical support at the early development stages to enable innovators to reach key value inflection points.
I’m passionate about building bridges between scientific discovery and real-world implementation. Under my leadership, we’ve launched 40+ successful ventures, grown our startup portfolio by 70% while enhancing quality metrics, and created strategic initiatives to accelerate efforts to commercialize needed healthcare innovations.
Previously at the NCI SBIR Development Center, I redesigned funding approaches that helped companies secure 4X more external investment and coordinated forums generating $300M+ in partnerships. My career spans research leadership at Pfizer, policy development at the National Academy of Sciences, and scientific investigation at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
My expertise lies in identifying emerging trends, developing data-driven innovation frameworks, and creating cross-sector collaborations that transform research enterprises. With a dedicated team of 17 professionals, we’ve established NIA as the largest aging and Alzheimer’s focused seed fund globally, supporting over 150 startups annually and implementing entrepreneurial programs accelerate the process of advancing a concept to execution.
I’m committed to mentoring the next generation of innovators and developing strategic initiatives that bridge gaps in the healthcare innovation ecosystem.
Resources
This presentation outlines the NIA Small Business SEED Fund, emphasizing the SBIR and STTR programs that provide non-dilutive funding and support for small businesses focused on Alzheimer’s and aging research. It covers program structures, eligibility, funding phases, and benefits such as intellectual property retention and access to technical and business assistance. The resource also highlights targeted funding opportunities and showcases innovative projects, particularly those utilizing AI and technology to improve health outcomes in aging populations. Its core value lies in guiding small businesses through securing federal funding to advance impactful research and product development in the fields of aging and dementia.